The killing of aides and security detail of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah sparked an outrage yesterday.

Eminent Nigerians and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo condemned the attack.

They urged security agencies to find and bring the assailants to justice.

The incident occurred on Sunday at Enugwu-Ukwu in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Ubah represents Anambra South on the Young Progressive Party (YPP) platform.

The police said five persons lost their lives in the attack.

The state command spokesman, Ikenga Tochukwu, said the victims included two policemen, two of Ubah’s aides and one other person.

Sources close to Ubah believe it must have been an assassination attempt on him.

The Senator identified the two slain aides as Obum Ikechukwu and Goodness Mathias, adding that his security detail from the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) were among the victims.

Vociferous condemnation trailed the attack.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo urged security agencies to find the killers.

In a statement by his Press Secretary, Mr Christian Aburime, the governor said the act was condemnable.

He said his administration was determined to “wipe out every act of criminality in the state”.

The statement added: “This is the last ditched-effort of a sinking boat’ by these criminal elements.

“All security agencies are now on full alert to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous attack, who will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

The governor commiserated with Ubah and the families of his aides who lost their lives as well as the police for the loss of their men.

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide described the attack and killings as worrisome

Its spokesman, Alex Ogbonnia, told The Nation: “The attack on Senator Ubah and the killings in the Southeast are worrisome. They’re very far from the norms and values for which Igbos are known.

“In the past, killing in Igboland was unheard of. Any such act was met with ostracism as a punishment. So the rate at which Igbos are killing now is worrisome.

“When we talk about handing over values to our younger ones, is it the environment that is a killing field and filled with violence that we will be handing over?

“Ohanaeze condemns in its entirety these killings. We also sympathise with the deceased.

“We make bold to say that the level of violence in the Southeast is caused by two key issues: criminality and aggression resulting from alienation and marginalisation.

“What is happening now is an effect of misgovernance. All over the world, the moment you have anger in society, unemployment and poverty, the result is what you are seeing.

“The only solution is for us to go into 2023 elections with open eyes. The future of Nigeria will depend on the kind of government that comes in 2023.

“With credible elections and good governance, some of these things will be attenuated.”

Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ichie Damian Okeke-Ogene, described the killings as barbaric.

He urged the Federal Government to find a solution to the worsening insecurity.

According to him, the number of citizens being killed daily, not only in Anambra but the entire country, was worrisome.

He commiserated with Senator Ubah and prayed to God to grant the souls of the departed eternal rest.

Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate and former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, described the attack as “unfortunate and condemnable”.

He called on perpetrators to have a re-think about actions “injurious to the growth and development Nigeria urgently needs now that suffering abounds in the land”.

Describing most of the killings across the country as one of the cumulative effects of bad leadership over the years, Obi said the best way to tackle them was to go to the root causes of discontent in the land and nip them in the bud.

He condoled with Governor Soludo, encouraging him not to relent in his efforts to restore sanity to the state, just as he commiserated with Senator Ubah and deceased families over the painful incident and loss of lives.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar also deplored the killings.

He tweeted: “The attack on the convoy of Senator Ubah stands condemned. My condolences go to the families of those injured and killed in the attack. I share my sympathy with the Distinguished Senator.”

Former Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, described the attack as despicable and evil.

“It has become most expedient now for the authorities to deploy the best of our security and intelligence network across the board to nip such incidences in the bud.

“We must engender confidence and reassure Nigerians of their safety at all times,” Abaribe said in a statement by his media adviser, Uchenna Awom.

A House of Representatives member, Chris Azubogu, who represents Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency, condemned the attack.

He urged security agencies and the state government to fish out the perpetrators.

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), in a statement by its President-General, Goodluck Ibem, condemned the “wicked, barbaric, villainous and senseless attack”.

“We are pained and disheartened to receive this heartbreaking news of how our youths just lost their lives within a twinkle of an eye. What a wicked world!

“It is infelicitous that such senseless killing of innocent youths who have done nothing wrong is happening in Igboland that is before now adjudged most peaceful in all ramifications.

“Something is fishy in this very attack and we demand that security agencies must unravel those hoodlums and their sponsors behind the assassination attempt on the life of Senator Ubah and bring them to justice,” the group said.

Senator Andy Uba commiserated with Ubah, describing the attack as alien to Igbo culture.

“The news came to me as a shock and I sincerely condemn the horrific attack. These attacks are uncalled for and are alien to Igbo culture to maim and kill humans.

“My thoughts and prayers are with you and the families of the victims. I urge the Government to do the needful in bringing total peaceful sanity to our dear Anambra State,” he said.

A former Deputy Governor of Anambra, Dr Nkem Okeke, described the attempted assassination of Ubah as devastating and scary.

“We need to get our security structure solid with modern equipment to be able to withstand any hot security challenges at any time to wade off attacks that claim innocent lives,” he said.

A member of the House of Representatives, Chief Ferdinand Nwankwo, sympathised with the victims.

He described the attackers as heartless and wondered what justification they had to kill innocent Nigerians.

The Coalition of South East Professionals Network in Nigeria and Diaspora (CSEPNND), said the attack was “senseless”.

In a statement by its National President, Prof. Madumere Chika, and National Secretary, Mazi Anayo Uchemba, the coalition said the attack was perpetrated by enemies of Ndigbo, whose ultimate mission is to give a dog a bad name and hang it.

It said: “No true Igbo person will be this heartless and insensitive at this particular point when the entire country is doing everything possible to give the Southeast people a chance,

“This is a clear indication that some enemies of Southeast who are hell-bent on perpetually putting us down are responsible for such gruesome murder without any justification.

“In a serious country, one of these attackers should have been arrested by now, but as usual it will be stories and condemnation until another one happens again.

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